Nov 24, 2014

Can McIlroy Finally Land The Masters?

At just twenty five years of age, Rory McIlroy has almost done it all in the world of golf. Nine wins on both the PGA and European Tours, including four Major championships already make McIlroy one of the greatest golfers of all time, and he likely hasn't even quite peaked as yet. One tournament that has alluded the world number one to this point is The Masters and that is something that the Irishman will be keen to put right come 2015. Rory's best finish to date at Augusta was his T8 this year and although he has been in winning positions at the first Major of the season, he has been unable to convert these opportunities into a green jacket. Augusta is a course that requires a massive amount of patience and course management, and the winner of the Masters is often a player who has a decent amount of prior experience of the event. Having now competed in six Masters, Rory McIlroy may now have the necessary experience under his belt to go on and win arguably the most prestigious of the four Majors. So will 2015 be the year when Rory McIlroy finally becomes the recipient of a green jacket? He can currently be backed at odds of 4/1 with Betfair to do just that. View The Masters latest betting odds here: https://www.betfair.com/sport/golf

Since turning professional back in 2007, Rory McIlroy has made a rapid rise to greatness and could well dominate the sports for many years to come. From humble beginnings in Northern Ireland, it has taken long for McIlroy to amass his twenty one golf tournament victories, as well as a multi million pound fortune. The top player in the world is now also one of the most marketable brands, and has a number of endorsement deals with companies such as Nike and Titleist. With Tiger Woods going through a number of personal and professional difficulties in recent years, there was definitely a gap in the market for some new blood, and Rory McIlroy has definitely grasped that opportunity firmly with both hands. McIlory has shown that he is able to cope and recover from adversity himself, following both his collapse at the 2011 Masters and his very indifferent spell of form during the 2013 campaign. Golf pundits questioned his ability to come back as the same player following both of these episodes, but this young man has actually improved off the back of the set backs.

Having ended his 2014 campaign by taking the Race to Dubai title, Rory McIlroy should go into the 2015 campaign full of confidence. The fact that the Masters is the first Major of the season could well be a positive for Rory, and I can envisage him showing more composure and patience at Augusta this time around. The Masters isn't a tournament you can win on the first day, as McIlroy himself showed four years ago and while it will be of great importance to him to add the Masters to his resume, I don't see Rory being the type that will let the pursuit completely consume him. With three top twenty finishes at Augusta already behind him, as well as a career best top ten this year, Rory McIlroy should be primed to win the 2015 renewal of the Masters. Four steady rounds are what is likely to win the event, scattered with a few pieces of magic along the way. The competition will no doubt be fierce, with the likes of Henrik Stenson, Adam Scott and Justin Rose in the field to name but a few, but I do feel that Rory McIlroy can come out on top and collect a first of what is likely to be a collection of green jackets next year.